Letter-box



(No Model.)

J. E. M'ORIRIS.

LETTER BOX.

No. 402,535. Patented Apr. 30, 1889..

N. PETERS, Fhuto-Lilhngraphel. wumn mnhu (L UNITED STATES,

J ONATIIAN ED. MORRIS, OF HYDE PARK, ILLINOIS.

PATENT OFFICE.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,535, dated April 30, 1889.

Application filed September 2, 1887. Serial No. 248,597. (No model.)

a citizen of the United States, residin g in Hyde Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illi nois, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of myinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to mail-boxes used on residences, flats, public buildings, and offices as a receptacle for mail-matter delivered by carrier; and my invention consists in two receptacles for mail-matterone for periodicals, the other for letters; also, in a small receptacle for visitors cards, a receptacle or pocket to hold a card containing information for the carrier, a nameplate, and a slip or pocket to receive and hold Not at Home or Will Return cards.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective of the mail-box closed, showing the visitors-card receptacle, the receptacle or pocket for card for'carriers information, the name-plate, and the Not at Home or Will Return card holder. Fig. 2 is a view of the mail-box open, showing the innerjlower part of the periodical-receptacle and the inner partof the letter-receptacle with wire guard to'prevent letters from falling out when the mail-boxis opened.

The periodical-receptacle A is a box with an oblong aperture, 01,, in its top for the purpose of receiving the mail-matter. Around the edges of said aperture a there are walls raised, over which the lid Z drops to protect contents of mailbox from rain,'snow, or other injurious agencies. The lid 1) is made with flanges to come down over the raised Walls surrounding said aperture a, and said lid is hinged to the mail-box, as shown at c c in Fig. 2 on the letter-receptacle B, so that it will drop of its own weight over the opening a,

and so that it may be easily raised while put-.

ting anything into the box. The periodicalreceptacle is so constructed that the front wall of said periodical receptacle extends downward only to the top of the letter-receptacle B. The remaining space is vacant and is closed by the letter-receptacle B, as shown in Fig. 1. When said letter-receptacle Bis open or swung back, as shown in Fig. 2, the lower part of said periodical-receptacle A is open, so that the contents may be easily with- .ers to protect the cards from rain or snow.

In the front wall of said periodical-receptacle A there may be, at any convenient place, an opening cut and a glass inserted into the same, so that it can be readily seen without opening the mailbox whether it contains mail-matter or-not. Said opening is shown at e in Fig. 2. g

The letter-receptacle Bis a box with an aperture in its top, having the walls and lid constructed in the same manner and for the same purposes as described as being in the said periodical-receptacle, excepting that the aperture in the letter-receptacle should be smaller-than the aperture in said periodicalreceptacle. Said letter-receptacle is open on the side next to the periodical-receptacle A, so that mail-matter may be taken readily and easily from it when opened or swung back, as shown in Fig. 2. Said letter-receptacle B is hinged to the periodical-receptacle A, as shown at d d in Fig. 2, so that it may be easily opened or closed, and is provided with a lock on the opposite side from said hinges to secure the letter-receptacle B to the periodical-receptacle'A, so that mail-matter placed in the mailbox will be secured against any person not having a key thereto. Said letter-receptacle is provided with a guard, E, made of small Wire, in the shape of a horseshoe or any suitable shape, and attached to said letter-receppreventing letters or other mail-matter from.

falling out when the mail-box is opened. It is preferable to have coils in said guard, as shown in Fig. 2 at E E to allow said guard to spring more easily when mail-matter is being taken from the box.

The name-plate F, Fig. 1, is a narrow piece of metal or other suitable material, on which may be placed the name of the person owning the mail-box, and is attached to the mailbox by means of screws, bolts, or rivets.

The Not at Home or Vill Return card holder H is'so constructed that when it is secured to the mail-box there will be sufficient space between it and the wall of the mail-box to which it is secured to insert a card of the desired size to contain a few short words of information. An oblong opening is made-in said card-holder, so that when a card is placed in it the words written thereon may be seen without removing the card.

"What I claim as my invention is 1. In mail-boxes designed to be used on residences, public buildings, and offices, the combination of the receptacle for periodicals, provided with an opening through which they may be introduced from the outside, and a receptacle for letters provided with an opening through which they may be introduced from the outside, said receptacles being hinged together and so constructed that one forms a door to the other, openable to permit access to both the periodicals and the letters, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In mail-boxes having a periodical-receptacle and a receptacle for letters hinged together, so that one forms adoor for the other, the combination, with the letterreceptacle, of the guard E, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. v

JONATHAN ED. MORRIS. Witnesses:

J. M. EATON, HUGH DAVIES. 

